Youth Power Lab Webinar

We are living through a pivotal historical period full of exciting opportunities for social change as well as grave threats to democracy and human civilization itself.  The Funders' Collaborative on Youth Organizing (FCYO) understands that working class young people - especially those that are racially and gender oppressed - have a critical role to play in building the movements required to transform conditions for our communities and for society as a whole. But how can youth organizers level up to build the power so urgently needed in this moment?

To grapple with this question, FCYO is partnering with the Alliance for Educational Justice, Power U Center for Social Change, Dream Defenders, Youth United for Change, and Poder in Action to organize the Youth Power Lab. Launching in 2020, the Youth Power Lab will:

• Articulate a clear framework for the strategic role of youth organizing in building transformative social movements
• Develop assessments of the core strengths and growth edges of youth organizing and discuss key interventions that are needed to build greater power
• Launch shared experiments to test out new approaches to building power across multiple geographies, issues, and constituencies.

The Youth Power Lab will be made up of three distinct parts:

• Part 1 will consist of a series of virtual sessions and shared study to establish a common theoretical and analytical foundation.
• Part 2 will be an in-person gathering that will take place May 14-17, 2020 in Miami, FL. The in-person gathering will be an opportunity for participants to deepen relationships with one another and grapple with critical questions related to strategy, infrastructure, and cultural dynamics of our movements. All groups accepted into the Lab are expected to fully participate in Parts 1 & 2.
• Following the in-person gathering, groups will have the option to opt-in to Part 3 - which will consist of designing and launching shared experiments to test out new approaches to organizing and movement building.

To learn more about the Youth Power Lab and how to apply, interested organizations should attend our webinar on November 6th, 2019 from 2p - 3:30p EST. Please note: This webinar is for youth organizing groups only.

The webinar will offer:

• History, purpose, and desired outcomes of the Youth Power Lab
• Opportunity to engage with some broad assessments of the Youth Organizing field
• Information on the application process including;
• Timeline Criteria for participation
• Application format
• Application do’s and don’ts

FAQ's

After reading this I’m not sure if my organization should attend the webinar, I’m not sure if this is for us.

Maybe, maybe not! Consider this, the Youth Power Lab may be right for your organization if it is...

• Hungry for a more effective approach to base-building, developing leaders, building strategic alliances, running campaigns, and movement building
• Wants to connect with other groups experiencing similar issues to strategize new pathways forward
• Has been grappling with notions of power and what it really takes to transform conditions for our young people and our communities

I can’t make the webinar, does that mean I can’t apply?

Attendance on the webinar is strongly encouraged because it will include opportunities to directly interact with the leadership team of the Lab as well as other youth organizers. However, you can still apply even if you can’t make it to the webinar. Just sign up here to receive the recording by email.